President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, bringing to an end the operations of a body established more than two decades ago to oversee the privatisation, sale and lease of federal landed assets.
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According to a statement issued by the Presidency on Thursday, all matters relating to the committee’s responsibilities will now be coordinated by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). The directive takes immediate effect, with the Attorney General assuming oversight of all outstanding issues previously handled by the committee.
The PIC was created in 2000 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to implement the Federal Government’s monetisation policy on public assets. It comprised representatives from key ministries, including Housing, Justice, Transportation, Health and Agriculture, alongside the Nigeria Police Force and members from the private sector. Professor P.T. Ahire served as the committee’s pioneer secretary.
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The Presidency recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a Panel of Inquiry on March 22, 2001, to review the committee’s activities and produce a White Paper guiding the implementation of its recommendations. The panel reportedly worked for 21 months before submitting its findings.
Following a review of the committee’s operations, the Federal Government concluded that the PIC had exceeded its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country. It said the committee’s continued existence was no longer necessary in light of those developments.
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President Tinubu consequently directed that the Attorney General coordinate all matters relating to the committee, while the former secretary, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, was instructed to immediately cease acting on behalf of the dissolved body or representing the Federal Government on issues connected to its activities.
The decision forms part of the administration’s broader efforts to streamline public institutions, strengthen legal oversight and improve the management of Federal Government assets.
